15 Butter Hacks Every Home Cook Should Know | Epicurious 101, by Epicurious on YouTube. 14 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 14 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a hot skillet and spoon the foaming butter over steak or fish again and again. Add garlic, thyme or rosemary to the pan for extra flavour.
Melt butter in a light coloured pan over medium heat and swirl it often. When the crackling stops and the milk solids smell nutty and turn amber, take the pan off the heat at once.
Mash softened butter with chopped herbs, garlic, citrus zest or chilli, then roll it in parchment into a log. Chill until firm and slice off coins to melt over meat, bread or vegetables.
For gravy, knead equal parts soft butter and flour into a paste and whisk it in a spoonful at a time. For pasta, toss cold butter into the drained pasta off the heat with a splash of cooking water.
Whip softened butter with a splash of milk or water using a hand mixer until pale and fluffy. The result spreads easily straight from the fridge.
Grate cold butter on a box grater, or cut it into small cubes and press them flat. Let it sit a few minutes, or microwave it in 5 second bursts, checking between each one.
Keep the paper wrapper and use the buttery side to grease a cake tin or baking dish.
Soften butter and spread it right to the edges of the bread before adding the filling, so the bread does not turn soggy.
Pipe softened butter through a star nozzle onto a small square of parchment in a spiral, then chill it until firm before lifting it onto a plate.
Tips and common mistakes
Use unsalted butter so you control the salt, especially for brown butter and compound butter.
Pull brown butter off the heat a little early, because it keeps darkening in the hot pan.
Cold butter, not melted butter, is what thickens and emulsifies a pan sauce.
Butter spits when it hits a hot pan, so keep your face back and use a long spoon.
Questions
How do I know when brown butter is ready?
The foam dies down and the milk solids at the bottom turn golden brown with a nutty smell. Take the pan off the heat at that moment, or it will burn.
Can I make brown butter ahead of time?
Yes. Cool it, then keep it covered in the fridge for about a week, or freeze it in an ice cube tray and melt cubes as you need them.
How do I soften butter fast without melting it?
Grate it or cut it into small pieces, then microwave in 5 second bursts. Stop as soon as it gives when you press it.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
